


Don't Find Love, Let Love Find You

by Katcchan



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Fluff with Angst, Happy Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-11
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2018-10-02 16:32:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10222553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katcchan/pseuds/Katcchan
Summary: It started with a "Fool." It ended with an "I love you."(Sixteen things that Midorima Shintarou said when an enigma called Takao Kazunari entered his life like he was meant to be there in the first place.)





	1. "Fool."

**Author's Note:**

> I made this for my 2nd anniversary with MidoTaka (March 2015 started it all). MidoTaka was one of my first anime ships and the one ship that was attached to me the most. They're just so freaking real T_T

The first meeting for the basketball club was over. Midorima Shintarou didn't have any intention of lazing around in the gym any further, so he went to fetch his sports bag lying on the side benches. However, as soon as he took his first step towards the exit, an insignificant stranger blocked his way. Stared at him with those silver eyes.

"So, Midorima, it's nice being in a team with you."

Average height. Average looks. Probably average in intelligence, too.

The average-looking stranger before him he didn't give a single damn about was smiling, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. Instead, his eyes showed a cold and calculative look. His eyes looked like they could pierce right into his soul.

_Ah._

It's one of those guys who leech off of others again. Midorima had his fair share of people who try to stick with him because he's good at everything (everything but cooking) except that they can't handle him.

The raven-haired stranger before him was hugging a ball to his chest, staring shamelessly at him like he was the same level as him. Midorima's eyes narrowed into slits behind his thick-framed glasses.

"I don't have any fondness for people sticking to me, in fact. I suggest you steer out of my way."

He expected the boy to cower in fear, because who wouldn't? Midorima Shintarou was a member of the legendary Generation of Miracles. They destroy every obstacle that blocks them. Anything. Anyone.

What he didn't expect was a laugh.

"Woah, woah! Chill, man!" The boy, mirth replacing the cold look in his eyes, extended his arm to shake hands with Midorima. "Name's Takao Kazunari. You're interesting. I hope I could be friends with you."

Friend. Midorima clicked his tongue. He had no intention to make friends. He never really liked attachments with anyone. And yet this Takao guy before him asks him out of the blue to be his friend.

Like hell he will.

"Fool. Like I said, I have no intention to make friends with anyone. Especially those who are all talk."

Takao Kazunari slowly retracted his outstretched hand after realizing that the towering boy before him wouldn't take it. He dribbled the ball he was holding to the side, the rhythmic sound echoing in the now empty gym. "All talk, hmm? I could never reach the talent of people like the Miracles, but I have my own cards to show, too. Let's see. My eyes here," Takao pointed at his eyes. "These eyes could conjure a mental picture of this _whole court_ , even with people in motion playing basketball in the court. Pretty awesome, right?"

"I didn't ask for you to talk about your ability or whatsoever," Midorima said as he adjusted his glasses. "And if you suggest that we hang out, as what people from your generation would say, I won't make any promises that I would. That would be all."

Takao didn't stop him when Midorima made a move to walk past him to leave.

 _"You're really interesting. Funny, too. See you around, Midorima,"_ was the last thing the spectacled boy heard before exiting the gym.

Midorima thought that the encounter with Takao Kazunari would be the first, as well as the last.

He couldn't be any more wrong.

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**Chapter II- "Don't call me Shin-chan."**


	2. "Don't call me Shin-chan."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takao finally finds Midorima's hiding place.

_"Shin-chan!"_

Said 'Shin-chan' groaned in disappointment upon seeing the insufferable owner of the insufferable voice make his way towards where the Miracle was seated at the rooftop.Takao Kazunari, the bane of his existence for how many weeks now (and possibly until he graduates high school, _how horrifying_ ), already spotted his hideout.

"Shin-chan! You never told me you eat here," Takao said as he reached Midorima, his lips curled into a pout. "We go home together and we play matches together but you always disappear like a ghost during lunchtime!"

"Takao, I literally see you every second of the day except lunchtime and the hours I spend in our house. Tell me why it is my obligation to tell you where I eat."

"It's because we're friends, silly."

Midorima subtly rolled his eyes (which earned him a "Why are you being sassy with me?!" and an accusatory finger pointed at him). Deflated, he just chose to accept the fact that he had no place to hide now. His privacy would forever be invaded by this shameless man before him who appears to be snatching one of his squids away with his chopsticks-

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Hmm? Hmm..." Takao mumbled confusely, mouth full. Midorima can't understand what he said.

"Don't speak with your mouth full. It is so unethical."

"I didn't know you had the personality of a strict mother, Shin-chan."

 _Strict mother his ass_ , Midorima thought. "I see you are the type of person who attacks the personality of others. Anyways, you have to be lectured on your lack of etiquette. And if you wouldn't mind, kindly stay away from me."

"No way, Shin-chan! As partners, we need to deepen our friendship!" Takao made a wide motion with his left hand, grinning. "You rarely interact with us. In fact, you only talk to us when you ask for your three selfish requests. As a responsible individual I shall strive to know you more and be the bridge between you and the team! How's that, huh? It's not like I'm hanging out with you just for my personal benefit. It's for the whole team, including you."

"And how sure are you that you would get to know me more, as how you put it? I don't care about you."

"Ouch!" Takao pressed his fist against his chest and scrunched his face up for a dramatic effect.

Midorima ignored all of this and just continued eating.

Truthfully, the Miracle knew that Takao knew he didn't care at all. But somehow, Midorima couldn't shake him off even though a few weeks had already passed. The coal-haired boy stuck like gum under his shoe. He irritated him to no end. Whenever they have breaks from practices, Takao sits so close next to him on the bench and narrates to him the funny things that happened to him that day. Goodness, he didn't know that someone could be _as noisy_ as his former teammate Kise. He thought it was just a 'model' thing.

Midorima paused eating and turned to stare at the cross-legged boy on the floor who seemed to have stopped his ridiculous drama and resumed to eat his own lunch.

Suddenly, a brilliant idea came to mind.

"I have a bicycle at home. I also have a rickshaw."

Takao twisted his torso to meet Midorima in the eye. "Hmm?"

"I could attach the bicycle to the rickshaw and use it as a transportation vehicle. You want to stick with me? Then drive me home using the rickshaw. Everyday."

Takao's eyebrow shot up at the suggestion. "I'm not gonna be your slave, if that's what you're implying..." He stared at the ground for a moment. "Hey, what about before each ride, we play janken and whoever loses rides the bike? How about it, yeah?"

Midorima gave a small smirk. "Fine." He never loses at janken (except to Akashi, but that's another story to tell) and he _never will lose_ janken to Takao. Midorima didn't know why he suggested that they ride the rickshaw, maybe he subconsciously tried to think of a way to get rid of Takao for good. Even a person like Takao would get tired pedalling the rickshaw everyday.

To top all of that, he doesn't need to walk home anymore. It was a win-win situation.

"And one more thing, don't think that you're gonna get rid of me so easily…" Midorima's train of thought was interrupted as Takao placed his lunch to the side, stood up, and bended his body just enough to level his eyes with Midorima who was sitting on top of the cemented barrier of the rooftop. "I'm a pretty determined guy, Shin-chan."

A sigh. "Don't call me Shin-chan."

A laugh. "As if! Wait, Shin-chan, now that I'm looking at them, your socks are mismatched, aren't they?"

"My lucky item for the day is a frog-patterned sock that should be worn only on my left foot."

More laughter. "Seriously?! That's really silly…! Say, about these lucky items… Aren't they, like-"

"Fool. Stop talking, eat your lunch, then leave."

"No way!"

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**Chapter III- "I'll let you stay by my side."**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you may think that Midorima's being a bit 'talkative', but that's how I characterize him. I don't think that he's quiet. I think that Midorima's the type of person who wouldn't hesitate to voice out his opinions and he's a pretty straightforward person. Also, this story is in Midorima's point of view so he definitely has to do some talking. :D


	3. "I'll let you stay by my side."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Midorima loses in basketball for the first time in his life, but Takao teaches him a lesson.

"The interhigh preliminaries for Block A has been concluded! Seirin vs. Shutoku, _winner: Seirin!"_

_82-81._

If only he doubled his efforts in the last round, no, if only he doubled his efforts the whole game, they would have won. They lost by a point, and that one point difference stripped him of his chance to play in the Interhigh.

In his middle school days, Midorima never lost Interhigh. _Never_.

It was a stomach-lurching feeling.

"How can you eat all of that shit?"

What's worse right now is that the people he didn't want to cross paths with for the rest of the evening (or until Winter Cup) are the people he's eating with at the moment. They needed shelter from the rain after the match; Takao and him were also hungry so they decided to drop by in a restaurant, only to be greeted by Seirin basketball club members in their sickening black and white jerseys. Great.

And was that Kise?

Takao- _that little devil_ -left him with no other choice but to sit on the same table as Seirin's Kuroko and Kagami, as well as Kaijo's Kise after the point guard excused himself to have some quality time with Kaijo's Kasamatsu on the other table. What a fool. He would kill him later.

Kagami and Midorima were bickering while the okonomiyaki was prepared, and Midorima chose the time a very hot okonomiyaki collided with his head as a signal to leave the stupid unintentional gathering. He grabbed Takao by the back of his jersey outside and went back to the resto just to retrieve both of their bags.

"This must be your first time losing, Shin-chan," Takao said, huffing as he pedalled the rickshaw. The boy offered to ride a bike without playing janken.

Midorima raised his head to look up the stars, sighing. Honestly, this was the first basketball game he ever lost in his whole life, but Midorima was no stranger to losing, especially to Akashi Seijuurou whom he could never defeat in Shogi."No."

"I meant in a basketball game. It must be a piece of cake playing against all those small middle schoolers when you're playing with geniuses on your side. What life did you have, Shin-chan?" Midorima could only see Takao's back, but he definitely could sense the curiosity from his voice. What life did he have, really? He was a very organized and person. The words prim and proper are beside his name. Being raised in a strict family, Midorima never thought of any hobbies such as basketball fun. It was just a way to get in shape. He wasn't particularly attached to it.

"Ya, Shin-chan, it's getting harder and harder to pedal this thing. When's the last time you got the tires checked?"

The Miracle was dragged out of his thoughts when their vehicle was pulled to a stop on the side of the road. Takao hopped off the bicycle seat and checked the tires. "Tsk. No good. Your bike's flat. What do we do?"

Midorima clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction as he gathered in his arms their sports bags. "We couldn't afford to bring this all the way home. I suggest we leave it in the shade and get the tires checked tomorrow. In the meantime, we walk." He stepped out of the rickshaw and walked, Takao following him and walking beside him.

"So… you didn't answer my question. What life did you live in your middle school days? How was it playing with the other Miracles? Come on, Shin-chan, tell me!" Takao shook his arm with both hands like a clingy boyfriend and rested his chin on Midorima's shoulders, the older boy stupefied at the sudden and invading gesture.

"Get off me!" Midorima tore away Takao's hands with so much force that the latter winced. Takao rubbed his wrists to ease the pain away, muttering a silent 'sorry' to Midorima for invading his space.

The shooting guard saw his teammate's pained face and his chest stung. "My apologies, too."

They walked in silence for a long time after their awkward moment, and for the first time in his life, Midorima desired to have a conversation with someone.

And so, he started one. "I never really liked basketball."

He felt hawk eyes staring at him so he continued to talk. "I don't exactly have any passion for it. There were other choices: horseriding, fencing, archery, but I didn't feel like practicing them. but the rhythmic sound of the ball... It calmed my nerves. It-… It made me feel focused and refreshed, was all."

"We were called the Generation of Miracles, but we didn't really get along well. One was too noisy, one was drained of passion, and some were too obsessed with victory. Then there was one who kept on looking at the world with a bright perspective, when nothing was fixable anymore."

"And what does _that_ make you?" Midorima looked to his side and saw Takao looking at him like he had all the answers in the world.

Honestly, he didn't know who he really was.

"I was a bystander. You might call me an NPC. We didn't do anything special. And even now, nothing would happen, still."

"I'm not so sure about that."

Midorima was surprised at the words Takao had said. "What are you implying?"

The point guard smiled at him knowingly. "Exactly what I just said. How sure are you that nothing would change? First and foremost, you Teiko guys, the dream team that crushed everybody just broke off and transferred to different schools. How does that not change anything? That changes _everything_!"

"This early in the game, we already lost to Seirin. You never lost any basketball game in your whole life, and now we just got beaten to a pulp by Seirin!"

"We did not," Midorima adjusted his glasses in bemusement, "get beaten to a pulp, in fact. It was just a point, a point that we could have easily gotten if-"

"Nope, no excuses. We got crushed, nice and simple." The brunet gave a wide grin. "But that's what spices things up. You might have never realized this, Shin-chan, but life has so much color when you get to lose at times. That's because you get to appreciate the taste of victory even more."

Midorima stared at Takao, realization dawning at him. He certainly didn't think of life from that point of view before. He thought that winning was everything, but now, Takao's words somehow lifted the burden of losing to Seirin a little. His pace slowing down, Takao got ahead of him in no time. The shooting guard didn't catch up with him and just stared at his back in silence, going over the things that Takao said. He didn't expect that out of all people, this ridiculous, carefree boy would be the one to teach him about life.

Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to spend time with him.

"I'll let you stay by my side."

The boy in front of him froze and at this, Midorima gave a small smile. He caught up with Takao who failed to take another step and stood still with him, waiting for his teammate to snap out of his daze.

_82-81._

_"That's because you get to appreciate the taste of victory even more."_

"I'll win next time."

_We'll win next time._  
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 **Chapter IV-"I'm not worried about you."**


	4. "I'm not worried about you."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Midorima loses his precious lucky item, but somebody finds it for him.

The pitter patter of the rain could be heard through the paper doors of the seaside inn the Shutoku team were staying at for their training camp. The members of the Shutoku basketball team (Takao was nowhere to be found, though) were busy eating dinner in the dining hall to fill in their empty stomachs. The air was filled with indistinct conversation as the seated members chatted with each other about different basketball strategies they could use to increase their chances of entering the Winter Cup. They were defeated by Seirin once. They won't let it happen twice.

One person however, was not busy talking. He was busy sulking. And that person was Midorima Shintarou who had stabbed his poor meat slice for how many times now.

To say Midorima was annoyed was an understatement. He was utterly pissed off. Steaming. Ballistic.

He lost his precious lucky item.

The lucky item for Cancers that day was a tear-shaped pendant which he spent a lot of time searching for. He and Takao almost got late because they looked for the damn item.  
  
What's worse is that he lost his lucky item AT TRAINING CAMP, one of the days when he needed a lucky item the most. When they were running laps along the seashore, the pendant somehow fell from his pocket (he'd been so foolish to place it there) and disappeared under the sand. They still had another practice game after their break from eating and if he wouldn't find it by that time, he wouldn't be in top condition at all. This has been proven by the times Midorima failed to shoot hoops properly in his middle school days because of certain people accidentally destroying ( _"Midorimacchi, I swear I didn't mean to break it!)_ or eating ( _"But it looked so yummy, Midochin."_ ) his lucky items.

"Midorima, even the air is afraid of you. It feels so suffocating when I'm near you. Fucking stop sulking," Miyaji Kiyoshi said, annoyed. He looked around. "By the way, where's your soulmate? He should be eating now. He wouldn't have a chance to eat later."

They were all startled by the sound of hurrying footsteps. When they turned to face the origin of the sound, they were greeted by a drenched and panting Takao. He was practically soaked from head to toe; his hair was stuck to his forehead making him look like a child.

"Shin-chan, I found your lucky item!" He said happily while still panting. "I was so lucky to find it, you know?" Takao walked to Midorima's side and placed the lost-but-now-found pendant on the table. "I scoured the whole beach for it. You owe me a seat on the rickshaw, okay?"

Midorima dumbfoundedly stared at the pendant, then to Takao who still had his wide, tight-lipped smile on. Unbelievable. " _This_ was the reason why you were late? You looked for my lucky item?"

"I thought you knew." Takao giggled. "I was calling out to you awhile ago but you didn't answer. Do you really shut down like that when you lose a lucky item? Anyways, I'm really hungry-"

"Guys, clear out the dining table now." Coach Nakatani announced and the students hurriedly piled their trays. The middle-aged man sighed and looked at his watch. "Believe it or not, our time here is limited since the inn has schedules. What kind of inn limits eating time? Anyways, practice starts at exactly 8 so do what you have to do before then."

Kimura Shinsuke raised his hand. "Coach, Takao still hasn't-"

"Shh! It's fine, we do not want to anger coach." Takao silenced his senpai before he could voice out his concerns. Midorima heard Kimura whisper an "Are you sure?" with Takao replying a "Yep, thanks."

"Okay!" Coach Nakatani clapped his hands twice. "Make sure you arrive on time."

Midorima checked his watch and clicked his tongue.

_Twenty-three minutes before eight._

Without really thinking, his hand shot up and wrapped itself around Takao's thin wrist. Takao looked at him confusedly, yelping when Midorima dragged him across the halls to their assigned room. Once they reached their room, Midorima hastily opened the cabinet and pulled out a towel. He spread it open and wrapped it around Takao's head.

"Tsk. This won't do. You need to take a shower." Midorima reached for his bag to get his last can of red bean soup and threw it in his partner's direction.

"After showering, drink this."

"Shin-chan, I'll drink this, but there is literally no time left for shower. You know I shower for a long time. I'll just shower later after practice. Now turn around, I need to peel these wet clothes off me. _Even my underwear_." Takao added the last bit when Midorima didn't move.

The taller man just rolled his eyes and turned around.

* * *

 

"I feel like shit." Takao whimpered, kneeling in front of the toilet bowl while Kimura drew soothing circles on his back. He was a mess in one of the bathroom stalls shortly after they finished practice. The practice was pretty light: just shooting hoops and running a few drills. However, one didn't seem to handle the activities properly and rushed to the nearest bathroom stall he could find to puke his stomach out. That was Takao.

Midorima was standing outside the stall, his mouth drawn to a deep frown. Takao had been retching for a few minutes now; at times he would stop like he was already done but after a few seconds, he would vomit into the toilet again.

"I think we should go to the clinic," Kimura said, feeling Takao's forehead. His eyebrows met when he noticed that Takao's temperature was warmer than usual.

"No, it's fine," Takao muttered weakly. "I just need sleep."

"Are you sure?"

The shortest of the three just nodded and reached for the flush. He stood up, still wobbly, and Kimura supported him by the elbows so that he won't fall. He asked him to let go though, so he did, hesitantly. Takao passed by without a word to Midorima, who followed him closely from behind, monitoring him closely as they went back to their rooms.

Midorima wordlessly motioned for Takao to take a shower. He zipped Takao's bag open and prepared a new underwear and clothes. They did this for each other on some ocassions; Midorima already memorized how his teammate arranged his things.

He knocked at the door and handed the clothes to Takao who accepted them gratefully.

"I told you to take a shower before practice." Midorima tried to scold harshly, but it came out gentler than what he had intended it to be. The newly showered Takao just smiled as he slid into his futon. "This was meant to happen, though. I wasn't exactly feeling well since this morning."

"You _knew_ that," Midorima looked at him in disbelief. "You knew that yet you still walked out in the rain?"

"I can't help it. I don't want you to feel cranky all evening. It's not really a good sight, Shin-chan. I know how frustrated you get when you lose your lucky items. I appreciate you worrying for me, though."

Midorima couldn't really believe how selfless Takao could be. With trembling fingers, he turned off the lights, sitting down on his futon beside Takao's and fluffing his pillows.

"What are you talking about? I'm not worried about you. Just sleep."

He closed his eyes and was about to fall into sleep with the pulsating warmth in his chest when he suddenly remembered something.

The pendant.

_He forgot the freaking pendant on the dinner table._

Midorima shot up in record time and tiptoed (he was still noisy) his way across the room to find the lucky item. He won't lose it again. He'll probably keep it with him forever.

Midorima wasn't back until midnight, but when he reached their room, all sweaty and tired, the solid form of the pendant enclosed in his hand, he found himself not minding the exhaustion. Not even one bit.  
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**Chapter V-"I have him."**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I gotta admit: this chapter was self-indulgent XD


	5. "I have him."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akashi organizes a gathering for the Generation of Miracles after the Winter Cup preliminaries.

Midorima's legs felt as heavy as lead due to almost an hour of walking. It was a pain to look for some random coffee shop so early in the morning in some random part of Tokyo just because your former captain asked you to meet up. Takao dropped him off way back because of the busyness in the streets, and that was after they spent also an hour looking for a vintage keychain, his lucky item for the day. The spectacled boy was certain that he must be cursed; he just couldn't find the right place.

After what seemed to be a long time, he finally located the damn shop after entering a narrow alley (Unbelievable, who would place an entrance of a store in an _alley_?). Midorima took a deep breath before wrapping his hands around the handle of the door, pushing it hesitantly and carefully as if something dangerous would pop out in front of him from the inside.

_Keep calm. It'll be just a greeting and some few words from him. It would be over before you realize it. Your life doesn't revolve around Teiko anymore._

The interior of the cafe shop looked antique-ish with the medieval looking tables and chairs. The ceiling and the walls were painted a dark brown, but the shop didn't look dull because of the gold-colored window frames and decorations. Amidst all of the browns and golds, the rainbow hair of the people occupying the center table stood out.

Actually, they were the only people to be found. Midorima deduced that Akashi rented the place for the day.

Who knows, maybe the Akashis even _owned_ the place.

"Shintarou," Akashi Seijuurou, the former captain of the Generation of miracles, nodded at him in acknowledgement as he gestured at him to sit on the only empty chair. Around the table sat the rest of the Miracles: Aomine Daiki, Kise Ryouta, and Murasakibara Atsushi, each wearing a different expression. Aomine looked bored out of his mind, meanwhile, Kise looked like he wanted to hug the life out of all his teammates. Murasakibara was in another world with his strawberry shortcake.

Midorima pulled the empty chair backward and sat silently. _What a joyous gathering_ , he thought sarcastically, sensing the tension and awkwardness. It was clear that no one wanted to be here. He fought the urge to roll his eyes; instead, he just adjusted his glasses.

Akashi cleared his throat.

"I am happy that you all came inspite of the long trip. I wanted to congratulate you all for passing the Winter Cup preliminaries. Truthfully, I wanted to fight each one of you. I wanted to see how each of you developed your different styles of basketball. You were like my little brothers back then."

"Ha, you still talk like you're looking down on us. Same as always, Akashi." Aomine rudely rested his legs on top of the table, much to Midorima's annoyance. "But face it. You're the one who's gonna get crushed. To be honest, I don't know why we hold these pretend reunions like we're long lost friends."

"Mou, Aominecchi! Don't be like that! We might have went our separate ways, but we're still friends, you know!" the yellow-haired Miracle whined. He looked at Midorima with his puppy eyes. "Don't you think so too, Midorimacchi?"

Midorima didn't have it in him to say the truth, so he effectively ignored Kise whose high spirits from before came crashing down.

"Now that's a rude thing to say, Daiki," Akashi said, smiling unnervingly. "Murasakibara, do you have anything to say?"

Yosen's center just shrugged and continued feasting on his cake.

"And you, Shintarou?" Akashi looked at Midorima like he expected a lot from him, just like how he had looked at him before in their middle school years. They always went by pair: Akashi the captain and Midorima the vice-captain. The vice-captain always followed his captain everywhere. He listened to everything Akashi said and followed Akashi's commands, both the reasonable and the ridiculous ones, albeit hesitantly. He had the most respect for Akashi Seijuurou who never failed to make others submit to him. That's why he did everything that was expected of him; he had always believed in Akashi.

But right now, he couldn't do what was expected of him. There was really _nothing_ to say.

"Cat got your tongue, Shintarou?" Akashi was smiling, but Midorima saw the hint of disappointment in his eyes like he somehow failed Akashi, and it made his insides twist. Fortunately, the redhead let it go and proceeded to signal to the person behind the counter to bring the food.

They were each given large bubble tea and a hefty serving of pancakes, much to Murasakibara and Kise's delight and Aomine's displeasure. The sunkissed male didn't really like sweets. When he took a bite of the pancake though, he seemed satisfied enough.

The students ate in silence. Midorima never minded silence in his life; in fact, he craves silence more than anything especially now that he's with Takao who always talks to no end. But this silence was different. Unspoken words hung in the air: words of indifference, displeasure, hate… After all, after their fallout, they were no more than strangers in each other's lives.

"So, Shintarou... How is Shutoku?" Akashi asked him, slicing his pancake with a knife so elegantly. "I have received word that the students there are pretty much… _mediocre_ at best."

Something flared inside Midorima at the insult to his teammates, though he couldn't pinpoint what the feeling was.

"The regimen in Shutoku is very strict. It was meant for the hardworking people, just like in Teiko. The school is not lacking in training basketball."

"But your teammates… Are their skills enough for you? I could ask the same thing to Daiki, Ryouta, and Atsushi," Akashi looked at the said people. "It must be hard to adjust, mingling with people who are inferior to you." A noise of protest was heard from Kise who told Akashi to not insult his teammates. Their former captain just smiled. "I have three of the Uncrowned Kings as my aid. From what I heard, Seirin's Iron Heart is an Uncrowned King, too. They are exceptionally good at basketball. With my Uncrowned Kings, our win in the Winter Cup is guaranteed."

Midorima could see Kise fidgeting in his seat. Aomine looked at Akashi like he was a piece of gum under his shoe. Even Murasakibara paused from eating.

"Woah, woah, woah, wait a minute. Did you seriously just say that? _You think you're so-_ "

Akashi didn't gather the Generation of Miracles for a simple breakfast.

It was for a declaration. A declaration that Rakuzan will win no matter what happens.

The shooting guard tried to drown out the sounds of argument happening at their table and focused on texting Takao. What Akashi said was the last straw. He found no more pleasure dining with his former teammates.

**To: TKazuHawk@yehoo.ne. jp**  
**From: MidoShin@yehoo.ne. jp**  
**Subject: Where are you?**

_Where are you? I'm done here._

**To: MidoShin@yehoo.ne.jp**  
**From: TKazuHawk@yehoo.ne.jp**  
**Subject: Where are you?**

_I'm currently shopping for shoes! I told you about it, right? Did Shin-chan seriously forget? Like seriously seriously? >_<_

**To: TKazuHawk@yehoo.ne.jp**  
**From: MidoShin@yehoo.ne.jp**  
**Subject: Where are you?**

_Shut up. I'm coming for you._

After getting the location of the shop from Takao, he flipped his phone shut and hurriedly devoured what was left of his plate. Aomine and Akashi were arguing still, and Kise was trying his best to pacify the blue-haired boy. Midorima sneaked a glance at the person behind the counter and saw him looking confusedly at them. Great, they must be putting on a lot of show.

Wordlessly, Midorima rose from his seat, making Aomine shut up. They were all staring at him now, but he didn't feel conscious at all. He had a newfound determination to win, and so he spoke, prompting everyone to listen.

"Only destiny decides who wins the Winter Cup, but I will do everything in my power to win. I cannot guarantee that we will be the one to rise to the top, but there is one thing I can guarantee: playing against Shutoku _will not be easy_. I must go now. Thank you for the breakfast, Akashi." Midorima nodded to the redhead who smiled in return.

His steps felt considerably lighter now that he was leaving. Just as he was about to reach for the door handle, he was stopped by Akashi who had said something. "You have changed, Shintarou. Anyways, I am excited to play against you in the Winter Cup." His eyes seemed to glow gold for a second.

Midorima talked to Akashi for the last time that day. "I have them. I have him. We will not easily be beat."

And then he left.  
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**Chapter VI-"It was an honor playing by your side."**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *looking at tarot cards* I sense two chapters of angst in the future


	6. "It was an honor playing by your side."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After losing to Rakuzan and winning against Kaijo, Midorima finds himself saying things he normally wouldn't say.

Midorima Shintarou inhaled deeply as the buzzer went off, a signal that the match had come to an end. He spared a glance at the scoreboard on the side of the court.

_54-96._

They won by a large margin, but their win wasn't reflected on his face at all. In fact, his face was blank, dazed as he stared at the ceiling lights like they held all the answers he was looking for.

"The third place match for Shutoku and Kaijo has ended!"

_Why was he playing a match for third place?_

"Shutoku vs. Kaijo! Winner: Shutoku!"

Midorima stared at his left palm. Ah, that's right. The time Akashi rejected his offer for a handshake was still as clear as day. It kept on invading his mind, how Akashi didn't even find it _worth_ his time to shake hands with him, how Akashi thought that it wasn't even _worth_ the effort to acknowledge him.They had lost against Rakuzan, and now they just finished playing a match that would probably just be forgotten as if it didn't exist. This is the fate that awaits those who have lost. The fate that awaits those-as much Midorima hated to admit it-not strong enough.

 _A match for the people who didn't make it through_ , the shooting guard thought, his gaze on Kise Ryouta who was sitting on the bench on Kaijo's side. Kise was a little bit far from him, but the slump of his shoulders and his clenched fists escaped the eyes of no one. Midorima had his fair share of the pain of losing, but he was sure that Kise had it harder, losing against Seirin and having to sit out of their game against Shutoku because of his injured ankle. He was about to go to Kise but a hand wrapping around his wrist stopped him from going.

"Shin-chan, we still need to line up and shake hands with Kaijo." It was Takao who held his wrist. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment before Midorima tugged his wrist out of Takao's hold. "I know."

"Well, you clearly looked like going to Kise just now," the point guard said, laughing. But then the light in his eyes dimmed a little. "It's hard losing, but it must be harder for you, huh? Make sure to comfort your friend later, Shin-chan."

"He's not my friend," Midorima snapped. "I'm no one's friend."

"Yeah, yeah."

After settling the game and Midorima talking to Kise, the Shutoku players silently walked to their assigned locker room. The silence didn't end there. Inside the room, the only thing that could be heard were the metal sound of the locker doors as they were opened and the zipping of bags. No one was in the mood to talk even though they just won. It was incredibly disheartening to play for a third place match, and it's not like they could call the win with Kaijo a complete victory either. Kise Ryouta was not there.

Midorima gritted his teeth in frustration and ran his hand through his hair. This sinking feeling was definitely new to him. He thought he didn't care about winning; after all, basketball was supposed to be just a way to keep his body in shape... _Right?_ Midorima wasn't so sure anymore.

He peered at Takao who was seated on the bench next to the one he's using. He was wiping his neck with a towel. It wasn't evident on his face that he cried before when they lost, but all Midorima could see in Takao when looking at him were his red-rimmed eyes and his dejected expression upon losing so badly against Rakuzan.

He recalled Takao's words earlier. _"It's hard losing, but it must be harder for you huh?"_

But how did Takao feel when his pass was blocked? How did it feel to have your days and days of practice go down the drain? What did the others feel? There was no one who had it harder when it came to losing. They were equally frustrated, thinking of 'what-if's and 'if-only's and God knows what other things.  
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"You must be _disappointed_ in us, Midorima."  
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But what Midorima just heard, wasn't what he expected his teammates would think at all. His eyes widened as he turned around and saw Miyaji looking at him with a bitter smile.

_What was he talking about?_

"I was the one who kept pushing you and telling you to work harder. At first it just felt satisfying to be able to order around a Miracle, but as days passed by, I realized that what felt satisfying wasn't ordering you around, but being able to teach you. With me as your senior, and you as my junior."

"So much for that pride, huh? But we only brought you down, so.. I'm sorry. Really."  
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"What are you talking about?"

Now it was Miyaji's turn to be surprised. Midorima looked around and saw their other teammates staring intently at them except for Takao who was looking at the ground.

Miyaji forced out a laugh. "You know what I'm talking-"

"I was the one being a burden, not you."

All eyes in the room widened, including Midorima's since he was shocked even by his own words. But he knew there was some truth to it, so he continued speaking even if it irritated him to admit it. "I was hard to get along with, and our teamwork always suffered because of me. You were always forced to give in to my selfish demands, and yet the foolish me never thought that that was wrong. I firmly believed that it should be you who should follow my pace, not me following yours. I felt like the only thing that could truly satisfy me is my own success. My three years in Teiko led me to that thinking."

"But now… I am not so sure anymore."

"Having people older than me whom I could follow, having someone who is always by my side despite my indifference," _(Midorima thought of black hair, a wide smile, and sparkling eyes.)_ "It somehow felt… gratifying. When I fell that day, I had you to tell me to stand back up. I did, and it finally felt like I was playing not just for myself, but for the whole team." It was so uncharacteristic of Midorima to be saying these things. Not once in his life did he ever think that he'd be talking about such emotional things, but it felt good to be able to voice out what he truly felt.

"It felt like I finally found where I belonged, and I belong here, here in Shutoku. It was an honor playing by your side, so please don't ever think that you're a disappoinment again."

"Ugh… gu…"

Everybody turned to Takao who suddenly broke down in tears, his shoulders shaking and the heel of his palms digging into his eyes. _Ah, there you go. Always acting so strong when in fact you're hurting._

"What the fuck, Midorima," Miyaji wiped the stray tear that escaped his face with his arm and let out a tearful laugh. "Warn us before you spout sad shit, will you?"

The whole room erupted into laughter.

"I think this was the first time that Midorima lightened our moods up."

"No shit Sherlock."

"Who knew that Midorima had this side!"

"But it feels good to be acknowledged, y'know?"

Midorima frowned at their teasing, but his chest felt considerably lighter. Miyaji looked at him with gratitude in his eyes before going towards Takao who was being comforted by Otsubo. He kneeled in front of Takao and harshly wiped his eyes. "Stop crying like a baby!"

"B-But _Shin-chan-_ "

"Shin-chan this, Shin-chan that! I'll hit you with a pineapple if you don't stop crying!" What a unique way of comforting indeed.

"Thank you Midorima. We needed that. Everybody here felt bad since we lost, you know?" Otsubo said from where he was seated beside Takao. "What you said was one of the biggest praises I've received in my whole life."

"Midorima! Do us a favor and make this adult baby stop crying!"

Midorima went to Takao's side and replaced Otsubo's position from the bench. How should he do this… He once heard from Takao's nonsense babblings that whenever he would cry, his mother would squeeze the back of his head to comfort him. Midorima rested his unbandaged hand atop Takao's head and started to ruffle his hair gently, then proceeded to inch his hand down to the back of his head and squeezed.

_"Stop crying, idiot."_

And just like some magic word, the tears stopped falling.  
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**Chapter VII- "You're one ugly reindeer."**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! *sweats* I was running around by myself completing requirements to enroll to my chosen school and it's honestly such a pain but I already completed them so here you go! Because I kept you waiting, the next chapter would be the FLUFFIEST OF ALL FLUFFS I could possibly make with my ugly writing (you could already guess the occasion XD) and it would be uploaded as soon as tomorrow.Thank you for reading.


	7. "You're one ugly reindeer."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Midorima and Takao spend Christmas Eve together.

_"Meri Kurisumasu!"_

Christmas in Japan is more on the festive side than the religious side of it as there weren't a lot of Christians in the country. Christmas days are often celebrated with a hefty amount of KFC chicken and exchanging of gifts but other than that, nothing really special happens on Christmas Day. That also holds true to the Midorima household.

On Christmas Eves, however, things are different. It was a day for romance, dates, marriage proposals,and steamy nights in hotels.

 _That_ , also holds true to the Midorima household.

"Shizu, Shintarou, how does mom look?" Midorima and his sister Shizu were lazing around in the living room-Midorima was reading a hardbound book whereas his sister was busy chatting on the telephone with a friend-when their mother approached them wearing a blood red dress paired with red chunky heels. Both son and daughter knew what the outfit was for.

"Peachy!" Shizu gave a thumbs up to her mother's appearance before going back to the phone. The older of the two siblings would have resumed reading were it not for the distracting tapping of a thick heel on the floor. He looked up and saw his mother staring at him while waiting for his opinion. Midorima knew not to make her mother impatient so he carefully 'analyzed' the clothing from head to toe.

_Too red._

"It looks good."

Midorima's mother looked at his face for a moment as if gauging his reaction. "So it's too red for you? I have a black one somewhere…"

Midorima just shrugged. Well, her mother always saw right through him. He was about to get back to reading when---

"Oh, by the way, Shintarou, you're going out with Takao-kun tonight."  
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Midorima's eyes blew so wide his mother feared they would pop out of their sockets. "What? What do you mean?"

"My friend gave me two tickets to her restaurant in Shibuya. It would be great to spend time there, but your father already made an arrangement in a hotel for the two of us. These tickets are due today. Well, if you don't want to bring Takao-kun, you can bring a girlfriend or a ' _girl_ ' friend, whatever-"

"Mother, I don't-"

Shizu snorted as she put down the telephone. "Mom, the closest nii-chan has to a girlfriend is Kazu nii-chan so it'd still be him either way- OW!"

She howled in pain when Midorima (who was utterly horrified of hearing 'Kazu nii-chan' and 'girlfriend' in the same sentence) flung himself to her end of the couch and swung his hardbound book to her bare thigh. Hard.

"What are you prattling about?!" her brother hissed.

"But it's true!" Shizu rebutted, rubbing her poor, abused thigh. "You go to school together, go home together, and you're basketball partners! Everytime I see you on the phone it's always with Kazu nii-chan. I won't be surprised if you tell me you two are dating."

"Why did you come to that conclusion?! And what's with Kazu nii-"

"Now, now." Their mother interrupted their noisy banter by raising her hand. "Shintarou, I really want to thank Takao-kun for everything he has done for you and this will be my way of saying thanks. Also, you've spent fifteen Christmas Eves sitting on a couch. Surely you would find hanging out with Takao-kun more enjoyable than wasting the night away reading, right? Call Takao-kun and tell him to get ready by 6:30. Iwazaki-san will drop you two off in Shibuya."

Well, she had a point. Sighing in defeat, Midorima rose from the couch to call Takao.

What he didn't see was the mother and daughter high-fiving in the living room with wide smirks on their faces and naughty glints in their eyes.

**Success.**

* * *

 

After the Shutoku pair was dropped off in Shibuya, they went strolling first since it was still too early to eat. They were ten minutes in when Midorima decided that it was finally time to comment about Takao's outfit.

"You look like a walking Christmas tree."

The idiot was wearing a pastel green oversized sweater with a freaking 'Merry Christmas' printed on it and obnoxious red jeans to completely feel what he called the _'true spirit of Christmas'_ , not like Midorima gave a rat's ass about it. Takao gave him a playful nudge with his elbow. "That was the exact image I was going for! You have a good eye, Shin-chan! Well, not literally, since you wear those glasses but you know what I mean-"

"Oh, clam up, would you?"

Turns out that Takao was silently judging his clothes too. "Whose funeral are you attending, by the way?" he teased while tugging Midorima's thick coat.

The joke was only met with an intense glare.

Midorima's choice of clothing was the complete opposite of Takao's. While the latter wore bright colors, the former just settled on wearing a black coat and tight black jeans.

Christmas songs blasting from numerous shops mixed with conversational talk filled the streets of Shibuya. Colorful lights decorated the trees and the buildings in the area. One particular place that attracts the eye is the wonderfully lit park in the distance. Yoyogi park sparkled with hundreds and thousands of blue lights making it look like a place you'd only see in fairy tales.

Midorima stood still and fished for the two tickets in his pocket. He saw Takao skipping away as if he didn't see Midorima stop but paid it no mind since he knew his companion would come back (after all, the free dinner's riding on him). He squinted as he read the small text, burning into his mind the restaurant name and the address. Midorima finally looked ahead to follow Takao but he saw him come back- was he skipping?- so he held his ground.

And apparently his friend turned into some kind of animal.

"Aren't I cute, Shin-chan?" Takao said in a high-pitched voice, flailing his sweater paws in the air. The boy was now wearing a red headband with white reindeer horns attached on it. Now he really looked like the embodiment of stupidity.

"You're one ugly reindeer. Where did you even get that?"

"Tsk, tsk." Takao shook his head and looked at Midorima with pity in his eyes. "I'm afraid you have failed in seeing the aesthetic of these kind of headbands, Shin-chan. Poor you." He explained that he got it from a vendor who found him so cute she gave him a headband. The taller of the two said that he must be lying and just haggled the vendor.

"No way! I'm not stingy like you!"

"Shut up, fool."

After walking for a few moments, they finally found the restaurant they will be eating in and were ushered in by a doorman. One glance at the place and one could say that the restaurant was really high-end, from the perfectly polished floor to the high ceiling with golden chandeliers hanging from it. The room resembled an art exhibition more than anything; the walls were decorated by avant-garde paintings of the earlier centuries. Midorima stood in silent awe of the restaurant when he realized something. He turned to Takao to silently scold him about his choice of clothing that didn't exactly match the place.

However, what he saw took him by surprise.

Instead of the bulky sweater he was wearing a while ago, Takao was now dressed in a peach button-down shirt that complemented his red pants. The sleeves of the shirt were rolled up to his elbows. Midorima guessed that Takao wore the shirt under his sweater (which, by the way, was now tucked under his left arm along with the headband). Now that he was also looking at them, the smaller boy had casual dress shoes on instead of the rubber shoes he usually wore.

"Surprised?" Takao asked teasingly as they reached their table. "I know how to dress properly Shin-chan. I won't embarrass your mother to her friend."

Midorima couldn't help but smile.

* * *

  
The spectacled boy's mother proved to have crazy connections. The pair's stomachs did numerous somersaults upon seeing the many zeroes on the menu. _The lowest prices were at least five digits long…!_

"Shin-chan, two full-course meals here could easily pay a full-year tuition in Shutoku High," Takao said, his voice shaking. Midorima just gulped. The place was easily one of the most luxurious restaurants in Tokyo. He couldn't believe that his parents rejected such a place.

Everything went smoothly after they gave their order and soon enough, the heavenly food made its safe landing onto their table. Takao created a comfortable atmosphere by doing most of the talking as they ate, with Midorima throwing in some one-worded replies from time to time (if "Hmph"s and "Hm"s are considered words).

Some time during their dinner, a marriage proposal happened a few tables away from them. The woman being proposed to tearfully blurted out a 'yes' and the whole room erupted into loud cheers and claps. Midorima frowned at the scene while Takao clapped along with the crowd.

"Just look at us 'girlfriend-less' men dining together. What a tragedy."

"Takao, we're barely twenty."

* * *

 

After eating the most expensive meals of their lives, the pair walked to the counter to settle things, but it seemed that the lady attendant couldn't let them go yet. After catching the words 'picture', 'both of you', and 'mother' from the attendant, Midorima made a purely disbelieving look. Beside him, Takao could barely hold back his laughter.

"I'm sorry sir, your mother really asked us to do this."

They were informed that while they were eating, Midorima's mother called the owner and asked her to take pictures of 'his son and his adorable friend' and even specified the different poses they should do. Together.

Midorima could only wait for the ground to swallow him whole.

"Excuse me, but are you _absolutely_ sure that the call was meant for us?"

"Yes, sir. She mentioned a Midorima Shintarou and a Takao Kazunari. Those were the names you wrote on the recordbook."

Takao looked up to Midorima with a tomato red face- not from being embarrassed but from holding back the laughter torturing his insides. "Well, anything for your mother right?" he said, now breathless.

Midorima couldn't believe that his mother would do this to him. However, he knew better than disobeying her; it always resulted in nasty consequences like that one time she cut off their internet connection and disabled the televisions and the radios (he failed to know his lucky item for days and what happened afterwards were the most horrifying things that ever happened in his life). Cursing every deity in existence, he gave in and asked the attendant what they should do.

The first pose was easy. They just had to stand beside each other and smile for the camera. The next one though had Midorima cringing when the attendant instructed Takao to lean towards him and wrap his hands around Midorima's arm. The point guard, now looking slightly uncomfortable, hesitantly did what he was told; he clung to Midorima's arm while cocking his head to the left a little bit, making it look like he's leaning on the taller one's shoulder. A few seconds of awkward silence followed as their pictures were taken.

The instructions for the final pose had them both gawking in disbelief.

"What-"

"But we're-"

Midorima can't comprehend why the attendant's smile was gradually getting bigger when the situation's nothing short of embarrassing. "It's really cute, though!" she blurted out all of a sudden, but quickly realized her unprofessionalism. She clamped her mouth shut with her free hand- the other one was holding the camera. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, really…" Takao said, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked up to Midorima with hesitation in his eyes, mixed with a little bit of something that Midorima can't really explain. But that something was there, and that was what pushed him to nod to the attendant who raised her hand to give the signal to them.

The woman had three fingers up as they readied for their last pose. "Okay, three, two, one…"  
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Midorima slowly wrapped his arm around Takao's waist.

_Click._

Midorima knew he was supposed to feel weirded out, but he didn't feel as disgusted as he thought he would. In fact, nothing felt wrong with it.Takao fit just right in his hold, and he was warm, and… He glanced for a split second in between camera shots and saw at the corner of his eye the point guard's ear tinged with pink.

And he's just as embarrassed as me right now.

Midorima could already feel Takao squirming in his hold who looked extremely uncomfortable with the touching. His shoulders were hunched forward as if to avoid more physical contact. Midorima pursed his lips. This was the first time he ever touched a boy in an intimate manner. All he ever touched were shoulders and necks (and that was to _choke_ people, particularly Murasakibara and Kise). And the pose they're making: it's very suggestive of something. Just what was his mother implying by asking this of them?

He finally breathed a sigh of relief when the attendant gave a thumbs up for the successful 'photo shoot'. Midorima was so relieved he involuntarily gave Takao's waist a squeeze-

And Takao visibly jolted, his eyes widening as he snapped his head up towards Midorima.

Ah, shit- Midorima immediately pulled his hand back, raising it in the air. "M-my apologies." He said, quickly adjusting his glasses to mask his embarrassment. Beside him, Takao was scratching his head sheepishly. "It's fine, haha, I was just surprised a little bit. And it tickled so…"

They were saved from their embarrassing situation by the attendant who happily thanked them and gave them a pamphlet of the place. Midorima thought that he probably won't eat again at such an expensive restaurant, nevertheless, he nodded and thanked her for the good service.

Midorima and Takao were quiet as they descended the small flight of steps leading to the restaurant's exit. The shooting guard's phone rang in his pocket. He stood still and signaled Takao with his eyes to wait. The point guard nodded and wordlessly put his green sweater back on.

**_[Hello, Shintarou-]_ **

"What was that for, mother?!" Midorima hissed. There was laughter from the other line and he didn't know if he should be angry or embarrassed.

_**[I just received the pictures! They were very cute. Oh, Shintarou, apart from our family pictures, you never had any pictures with your friends! This was the perfect time for a picture! And oh, don't go home before 10, okay? Enjoy with Takao-kun a bit more! That's all! Bye!]** _

"Wait-" His mother promptly hung up on him and he groaned loudly in frustration. The time on his phone said 8:43. Okay, just a bit more and I can go home and Takao and I could pretend that the embarrassing photos were never taken...

"You know, Shin-chan," Takao said, looking at him sympathetically and playing with the cuffs of his sweater, "let's just stop agonizing over it, okay? It's getting more awkward every second. Let's just eat ice cream somewhere and then go home."

Midorima finally allowed himself to smile a little. Takao grinned at him. Well, he was right. "We could get ice cream and go for a walk, if that's what you want."

"Wow, I seriously thought you'd be rejecting my suggestion. Didn't peg you to have sweet-tooth, Shin-chan!"

Well, he has sweet-tooth. He wouldn't be living on red bean soup for years otherwise.

* * *

  
After buying delicious ice cream cake from a nearby shop, Midorima and Takao debated on where to go next. There was little to do except buy more food, watch live bands playing Christmas songs on the streets, or take a stroll in the area.

"Wait! The illumination! We should definitely go there, Shin-chan!" Takao raised a suggestion and Midorima looked at him confusedly before realizing what he meant.

"You mean Yoyogi Park?"

"Yep! It definitely has the perfect scenery!"

"And what would that 'perfect scenery' be for?"

Takao just gave him a wide smile. "You'll see." He pointed at the direction of the brightly-lit park in the distance. "Let's go!"

Japan is very popular for its winter illuminations that light up a large amount of cities, and Tokyo was no exception. The beautiful illumination in Shibuya stretched for 750 meters, from the Shibuya Park Street until Yoyogi Park.

Midorima and Takao can't help but gape at the beautiful LED lights that were attached to the trees. The whole place looked like a paradise of blue lights. There were also reflective sheets placed on the ground, making the road look as beautiful as the lights above it.

Takao took his phone out of his pocket.

"Shin-chan, should we take a selfie?"

Midorima's expression turned into disgust. "What?! No!"

"Hey, just this one time! It's Christmas, 'lighten up'!"

"Oh, just shut up."

"Pretty pretty please? With a cherry on top?"

"You say some pretty stupid things." Midorima walked faster so he can get ahead of Takao. He wouldn't risk getting any stupid phones near his face.

But Takao was not swayed. One second Midorima was walking, and the next Takao was already perched on his back, his legs wrapped around Midorima's waist.

_"Wha-! "_

_"Say cheese!"_

Midorima could hear laughter all around them as he struggled to shake Takao away.The shorter boy stuck to him like glue, pushing Midorima's forehead back with one hand to make him look up to the camera. In the end, the Miracle reluctantly supported Takao's thighs to hold him up.

After a few agonizing minutes, Takao asked to be let down. Midorima flicked his friend's temple in annoyance but the point guard was having none of it; he was too busy checking out the pictures. Midorima looked around and it seemed that they weren't the center of attention anymore so that's good.

"Shin-chan, I can't believe you didn't smile in any of these pictures." Takao pouted. Midorima felt an overwhelming urge to whack his face.  
The point guard tucked his phone back to his pocket, all smiles before skipping towards an empty bench situated on the side. A lot of benches could be seen scattered all over the place for those who want to enjoy the beautiful view. Takao pat the empty space beside him. "Come here, Shin-chan!"

Midorima followed Takao to the bench and sat down. They were wrapped in silence for a few minutes, with Takao just relaxing back, his knees propped to his chest as he stared at the blue lights. Midorima leaned back and started to relax on his seat when he suddenly remembered something. Slowly, he reached for his coat pocket, fumbling with the long box kept there along with his lucky item for the day, a matte lipstick (which he stole from his mother, of course).  
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Should he give it or not?

He won't deny that Takao has been a great companion to him since his transfer to Shutoku High, and even though he's an idiot sometimes and a blabbermouth at all times, Midorima is grateful for the company. So Midorima prepared a little something for Takao as a Christmas present. He was supposed to give the gift once classes resumed but now that an opportunity arose, he decided to bring it with him.

After a few minutes of contemplating whether to.give it or not, he eventually took out the box from his pocket. He cleared his throat. "Takao, I have-"

"I guess I should give my gift now." Takao suddenly shifted from his curled up position, stretching his legs in front of him. He looked at his friend with twinkling eyes.

"-something… I-… _what?_ "

Takao laughed at the surprised look on the Miracle's face. "Why do you look so surprised? Didn't expect to receive a gift?" He pulled out a neatly wrapped box from his pocket and waved it in front of Midorima.

"Merry Christmas, ace-sama. And happy eight months of friendship, I guess."

Midorima stared at the present. Wrapped in plain orange wrapper, the box had a green Christmas card pasted to it; Midorima guessed that it had something to do with his appearance when wearing the orange Shutoku uniform. He reached for the box slowly and let it rest on his palm for a moment. He must have been eyeing the gift suspiciously because Takao was now loudly whining at him that "there's no bomb inside, are you seriously thinking there's some kind of lethal weapon in there?"

Still, he didn't know what to feel. Was he even feeling something? He thought of buying Takao a present- just an obligatory gift, of course, an obligatory gift- but he didn't think that he would receive one. Didn't expect that somebody would even think of giving him a present.

"I…" Words were stuck in his throat and his mouth felt as dry as sand. He didn't really know what to say. "I'm… Thank you, Takao."

The point guard laughed softly. He rested his elbows on his thighs and pillowed his face on one hand. "Come on, open it! You know, I was actually planning to use a wrapper with a carrot-pattern but I don't think I'd still be alive after you see it."

Midorima held back the urge to retort something as he was busy removing the gift wrapper off. He didn't want to rip it so he settled on removing the tape off on one side of the box where the ends of the wrapper were neatly folded. He didn't realize that he was holding his breath the whole time; he exhaled only when the wrapper was finally off the gift.

In front of his eyes was a plain black box. He still didn't have an idea what it was, the clues so far were vague, but he decided that he didn't really need to rack his brain for an answer.

"Shin-chan, I'm literally on the edge of my seat here. Open it already!"

He silently opened the box on one side and held it up, the thing inside sliding down straight to the palm of his other hand.

It was a glasses case.

The case was light green, hard but lined with soft velvet. It was light enough too. Midorima could tell from the size that his glasses would fit inside it perfectly.

But what really caught Midorima's attention was his own full name _embossed_ on the front of the case. The words were in small calligraphy font, but it stood out because of shiny orange glitter. ' _Midorima Shintarou_ ' was stamped in a straight line with a ' _#06, SG_ ' written underneath it.

It was really pretty.

"This looks excellent." The words tumbled out of his lips before he had the chance to think. Normally, he would never allow himself to say such embarrassing words, but Takao's gift deserved it.

Takao sagged in relief. "Thank goodness you liked it. Damn, I had to take two hour train rides just to get that."

Midorima felt warmth pulsing all over his chest. He was happy that the whole place glowed blue or else Takao would have seen the pink flush decorating his cheeks. The cold unforgiving Midorima Shintarou, feeling 'something' over a gift? _Unheard of_. But somehow it was happening and he gladly embraced the feeling, even though it felt lame.

"I appreciate the effort. Thank you."

Takao grinned. "You're welcome! Why don't you try putting your glasses inside it?" Midorima did what he was told, folding his glasses and gently placing it inside the green case. His vision was blurry, but he could tell that the glasses fit just right.

"Ah, it's perfect! Use that from now on, okay? Um, I'm sure your own glasses case is way more expensive, I mean, I saw it, but I hope you give my gift a chance and-"

"Takao, you're rambling." The point guard zipped his mouth shut and smiled at him sheepishly. "I'll use it, you don't have to worry." Midorima's own case would definitely just collect dust from now on.

"And I bought you a gift as well. Merry Christmas, Takao."

"What? Really?" He didn't know why Takao's astonished face made him feel hesitant to give the gift. He was pretty confident in his gift before, but now… well, he was not so sure. While Takao's gift was very creative, Midorima's was dull and a wee bit unusual. Okay, it was definitely unusual. He didn't even know if it was given to guys as a gift. Still, he had no choice but to hand it over to Takao who was clearly vibrating with excitement.

For the whole time Takao was in the process of opening his gift, Midorima was looking just straight ahead. He didn't want to see how he'd react; he knew he would get a few, no, a lot of Takao's signature laughs: the loud, obnoxious ones.

He could see Takao going still in his peripheral vision. The silence was killing him. "Shin-chan…"

Midorima cleared his throat, his gaze dropping to his own gift on his lap. "What?"

"Did you seriously…" The phrase was followed shortly by a fit of giggles, and then…

It didn't even take five seconds for Takao to burst out in laughter.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH, Shin-chan, oh my God!"

"Hey, stop laughing-"

"I can't believe you-"

"Takao, just _give it back-"_

"-bought me _jewelry_!" Takao held the silver necklace

up, the crystals lining the Scorpio pendant glinting in the blue light. "Shin-chan, care to explain why you chose to give this as a present?" Takao's voice was laced with amusement.

"Y-you have a slender neck."

"That's it? Shin-chan, people call you smart and all, but you're actually pretty simple-minded.

Midorima glare at him. "Are you insulting me?"

"Nope," Takao stared at the necklace fondly, "it's actually really cute! But…" He skittered away from Midorima and wrapped his arms dramatically around his body, eyes narrowing into slits. "Were you staring at my neck? What a perv…"

"Excuse me-!" Midorima hissed. "I am not a pervert. You know what, give the necklace to me, and I'll choke your neck with it. That would be the _best_ Christmas present."

"Brutal. But no no, I'll be the first person to see how I look like wearing this necklace, so no one's wearing a necklace tonight, and no one absolutely chokes someone with a necklace tonight."

"Hmph."

"But seriously... thank you, Shin-chan. I really appreciate it. No one's gifted me jewelry before. I think it's a very nice present." Takao gently placed the necklace back to its box, a wide smile adorning his face. 

Midorima felt his chest lighten. This day wasn't _as_ bad as he expected.

"You're welcome. And I have to admit that I had fun."

"Hell yeah we did! Your mother's so nice to plan this for us!"

Midorima went still. "Planned?"

"Hm? I don't know what you were talking about earlier, but your mom contacted me like a week ago, saying she got us two tickets to an expensive restaurant. I spent hours trying to match clothes, you know!"

_"... what?"_

"Um... you didn't know?"

"..."

"Oh."

* * *

 

 **To: TKazuHawk@yehoo.ne. jp**  
**From: MidoShin@yehoo.ne. jp**  
**Subject: Pictures**

Takao, send me the pictures from earlier. Don't ask why. **:**

 **To: MidoShin@yehoo.ne. jp**  
**From: TKazuHawk@yehoo.ne. jp**  
**Subject: Pictures**

_[click to view 23 photos]_

 

_Set img_34668 as your wallpaper?_

**Yes** No

 _Wallpaper set to img_34668_.

.

.

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**Chapter VIII- "I want to change."**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you think I died? Well surprise! I'm sorry I haven't updated this fanfic in centuries. I promise to finish it though, and as you can see, I bumped up the chapter count to 18! Chap 18 will be an epilogue, and that other extra chap would appear between chaps 10-16. :-D I love you all and happy MidoTaka week! Stay tuned, I might post something!
> 
> http://www.asahi.com/sp/ajw/articles/AJ201611220068.html  
> https://www.berricle.com/zodiac-sign-scorpio-pendant-necklace-in-sterling-silver-jewelry-n1095-08.htm


	8. "I want to change."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takao teaches Midorima a lesson.

**To: TKazuHawk@yehoo.ne. jp**  
**From: MidoShin@yehoo.ne. jp**  
**Subject: Literature Report**

_Are you done with your report?_

 

 **To: MidoShin@yehoo.ne.jp**  
**From: TKazuHawk@yehoo.ne.jp**  
**Subject: Literature Report**

_Nope, just got started. Nakamura-san came in late and I can't really start without him so…_

_You done? That was fast. Tell Iguchi-san I said hi!_

 

 **To: TKazuHawk@yehoo.ne. jp**  
**From: MidoShin@yehoo.ne. jp**  
**Subject: Literature Report**

_I'll wait for you in front of the konbini we frequent to. Bye._

 

 **To: MidoShin@yehoo.ne.jp**  
**From: TKazuHawk@yehoo.ne.jp**  
**Subject: Literature Report**

_What? It's barely lunch time tho? Wwyd there? Just go home._

_Heyy_

_Are you seriously gonna wait for me?_

_Ahh you're distracting me just go home_

_Byeer (/^O^/)_

* * *

 

 **To: MidoShin@yehoo.ne.jp**  
**From: TKazuHawk@yehoo.ne.jp**  
**Subject: Literature Report**

_Shin-chan, you home?_

_I think we did a great job on our report! We brainstormed and all and Nakamura-san was really nice to me. I can't believe we barely talked this year. He invited me to play basketball too and we played for like, an hour. Good thing I brought my basketball with me!_

_Don't ask why lol_

_Um hello?_

_… Don't tell me you're really waiting there. It's half past two._

_Shin-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan_

_I told you to go home, why don't you listen to your babysitter? D:_

_Ugh the things I do for you_

_I'm running_

* * *

  
Midorima already lost count of how many birds he saw fly above him.

He can't remember how long he had been waiting; he was sure he came to the place around eleven. He texted Takao earlier and informed him that he would wait in front of the konbini he and Takao always go to for a great variety of snacks. It was kind of their haven after school. Part of their routine is to grab a light snack whenever the rickshaw is out of comission or whenever they have late basketball practices.

He looked to his side. Five cans of shiruko littered the bench, four empty, one half-full. On his lap rested a shiny gray kettle which served as his lucky item for the day. The novel Midorima brought with him lay on his left. The grotesque caricature of a furious man on its cover seemed to mock him.

_I knew you would be like this!_

_Work on that yourself from now on, you arrogant bastard._

Chewing his chapped lip, he gently flipped the book over.

Opening his phone, Midorima went to the message section and checked his inbox for new messages. There were none. He received Takao's last set of messages fifteen minutes ago but it felt like eternity had passed.

He reread his friend's last messages.

_I think we did a great job… Nakamura-san was really nice to me!_

_… the things I do for you..._

_...I'm running._

Midorima sighed and closed his eyes, basking in the feeling of the cool, soft breeze caressing his cheeks.

He let his mind contemplate about many things. About himself. About how others see him.

 _"Shin-chan!"_ A voice shook him out of his thoughts. He looked towards the source of the voice and saw his friend running towards him, breaths coming out in short, fast huffs. He was wearing a drawstring bag; the basketball he mentioned earlier in his text was probably there along with some extra clothes.

Takao held up one hand, the other resting on his knee. "Just, just give me a moment, I'm dying, I'm dying, I can't believe I ran almost two kilometers!"

Midorima gave ample time for Takao to catch his breath first before motioning for him go sit on the bench space cluttered with the cans of shiruko.

Takao visibly scowled at him as a result.

"So what do you want?" Takao said as he plopped down the bench after discarding the trash." Better make this quick, Shin-chan. My head is all dizzy from the report. Oh, by the way, how did it go with Iguchi-san? Did you manage to finish your report?"

The way Midorima's face darkened told Takao everything he needed to know.

"Uh oh, Shin-chan, what did you do?"

At this, Midorima retorted, "It wasn't me. It was him that's the problem! He insulted me and my beliefs, just stomped out of our house and left the rest of the work to me. I called you here to help me understand why he did such a thing."

His face at the moment was probably the sourest face Takao saw him make. And Midorima makes sour faces 24/7. Even when sleeping.

(His classmates always wonder if his sleeping face is immaculate, with his face relaxed and all, but Takao would beg to differ. The boy looked like he was living his biggest nightmare in his sleep, like he wasn't able to get his lucky item for the day and shit happened.)

"Woah, woah, hold your horses. Iguchi-san is normally a level-headed person. He wouldn't just say something mean. Obviously it's you that started it."

Midorima was absolutely offended. He called Takao here to share his woes and to vent out his anger; he trusted him to listen. He can't believe he just got more aggravated. "Why are you making me the villain?"

He sounded like a whining baby, that's for certain, but Midorima always deemed himself superior to other people his age. He couldn't stand someone insulting him.

Takao just looked deflated. "Shin-chan, I'm sorry to tell you this, but I have known Iguchi-san since middle school. I'm not really choosing sides here, but I'm assessing the situation based on your personalities." He inched closer to his Shin-chan and pat his shoulder gently as if pacifying a child. "Okay, let's do it this way. Why don't you tell me what happened? Let's talk about it from the start, yeah?"

* * *

 

_"You're late." Midorima narrowed his eyes at his classmate who was twiddling with his thumbs anxiously. They both agreed to meet at Midorima's house at 9 for the report they were assigned to produce by the end of next week, but Iguchi came an hour late. Midorima didn't bother to get his contact number so he had to wait by the door until his report partner came._

_"I'm sorry Midorima," Iguchi said, his gaze still directed towards the ground. His shocking orange hair irked Midorima a bit (it reminded him of a certain blond blabbermouth-). "My parents held me up since we had to talk for a whi-"_

_"We have no time to waste idling around," Midorima interrupted, swinging the front door open, "and I don't really need to hear your excuses. Come with me to my room and let us start."_

_"Okay, I apologize again."_

_They both entered Midorima's room and Iguchi settled his things on the low table. Midorima noticed him gazing at the shelves filled with his massive collection of lucky items. "You really are dedicated to collecting things, Midorima."_

_"Listening to Oha-Asa religiously everyday has been part of my life since I was young. I have to ensure that I have done everything humanly possible in order for things to go the way I want them to."_

_"Hm." No further questions were raised._

_They spent a few minutes brainstorming about how to do their project and both decided to split the project into two parts and have each of them do one part. They worked religiously, and for the next few hours the room was filled only with mouse clicking and the sound of keyboard typing._

_"Midorima, I'm sorry, my mind's really not working properly today. Could you please proofread what I wrote?" Iguchi turned his laptop around for the spectacled male to see. Midorima fought back the urge to roll his eyes, because of course, he would proofread his work. He needed everything to be perfect._

_His mood immediately plummeted down as he read Iguchi's work. It was disastrous: the main point was there, but the supporting details were just going around in circles and the work was nowhere near coherent. "Do it again."_

_Iguchi's mouth hung in shock but he probably realized that he looked stupid because he closed his mouth and cleared his throat afterwards. "Um… Do I really have to redo the whole thing? Couldn't I just arrange it in a way that-"_

_"You're late, and yet you're complaining?" Midorima felt a tick growing on his forehead._

_"I-I'm not complaining, it's just that I have worked on this for two hours-"_

_"You're late and you're complaining."_

_His classmate sighed. "I already apologized for being late, and if that's not enough, then I'm sorry okay? We just have problems at home and I really feel bad for not being my best today. But time would be wasted if we do not attempt to fix my work." The orange-haired boy was in defensive mode with his lips pursed and his eyes pleading._

_"I don't care about that insignificant problem you're talking about." Midorima could see his report partner's eyes grow wide yet he continued talking. "If you can't be in your best condition today, then everything you do is useless."_

_Only silence followed after Midorima's harsh remark._

_And then Iguchi_ _was trembling with rage. His hands were shaking as he closed his laptop shut. He looked at Midorima with fire in his eyes. "Really, Midorima? Out of everything you can possibly attack me with, you attack my **problems**? What do you know, huh?"_

_Midorima just stared at him as he gave a bitter laugh._

_"I knew you would be like this, ah, the great Midorima Shintarou who knows everything," Iguchi hissed as he grabbed for his backpack and headed for the door. He gave Midorima one last glare._

_"Work on that yourself from now on, you arrogant bastard._ _To hell with you and your stupid items. For once, why don't you try focusing on things that **really matter?** Like your **attitude** towards others, yeah?_

* * *

"And then he called me a terrible human being and that I should go to hell, and stomped out of the house."

Midorima was staring straight ahead the whole time while narrating his part of the story. He expected Takao to look empathic and assure him that it's Iguchi who did the wrong thing, but when he looked to his side-

-he only saw disappointment painted on Takao's face.

"Why are you looking at me like that-"

"Shin-chan, didn't you know?"

Takao's somber tone told him that he should take what he'll say next seriously.

"...Didn't know _what?_ "

"Iguchi-san's grandmother passed away a few days ago. Maybe that's why he was so out of it and took great offense about what you said regarding his problems."

"I... I didn't know."

The point guard just shook his head sadly. "It's never easy to lose a loved one; in fact, it's one of the hardest things in life."

Midorima is no stranger to that kind of feeling. He lost his grandmother before, the grandmother who always bought him toys and and taught him about everything he needed to know about the stars. He knows because he lost someone important before too and it hurt. He gritted his teeth. _"He should have told me."_

"I know, but that doesn't make you right. I mean, I get why you're mad and stuff, but you should learn to be more sensitive of how people feel. Iguchi-san probably felt offended and angry because you deemed his problem 'insignificant'. He was very close with his grandmother after all."

Midorima's throat felt like it was lined with sandpaper. He was very sure that he was in the right just awhile ago, but now he felt that bitter twinge of guilt as he struggled to get words out of his system. "I... I-"

"I-I'm sorry," Midorima said softly.

Takao just smiled at him sadly. "You know that that sorry shouldn't be directed at me, don't you?"

He just earned a quiet nod in return.

Takao must have sensed the tense atmosphere because he was now reaching for his basketball inside his bag. Midorima broke off from his trance when he felt the weight of rubber on his thighs. He looked at Takao and after seeing the bright smile on his face, the weight in his chest, albeit a little, disappeared.

Takao always made him feel better.

"Shin-chan, I know that you're a good person and I'm certain that you're gonna apologize to the person you wronged."

The raven-haired boy stood up and stretched out his hand for Midorima to take. "So stop worrying about it and play basketball with me? I'm tired as hell but anything for you, ace-sama."

* * *

 

Midorima let his mind contemplate about many things. About himself. About how others see him.

This was how Takao saw him: a good person who could apologize and own up to his mistakes.

And he didn't know if he should be happy or disappointed in himself because he never felt that he was that kind of a person. Even so, Takao's assurances always made him feel that he could still change, that maybe, what Takao could see really exists.

Midorima will just have to believe him.

He took his shadow's hand and together, they played under the glow of the bright sun.

* * *

 

Shizu barged into his brother's room at exactly 6:30 in the evening.

"Nii-chan, I can't believe you finally have a friend that isn't Kazu nii-chan! We should celebrate!" Midorima's sister dramatically wiped faux tears off her face.

"What are you talking about?" Midorima looked at her like she was growing a flower on her head. He didn't have a friend that isn't Takao (except for his seniors, but well).

"He said his name's Iguchi and he called our phone! Come to the living room, quick! I put him on hold."

Midorima felt his heart skip a beat.

Why did Iguchi call him? He was still mustering the courage to apologize through the phone (he got the number from Takao who had the whole school population on his contacts, probably) but his classmate contacted him first.

As he was walking down to the living room, he readied his heart and mind for his apology. His hands trembled as he gripped the phone and after a few minutes of steadying his breath, he pressed the button for resume.

"H-Hello?"

_["Midorima? Is that already you?"]_

"Yes, it's me."

_["I... I just wanted to talk about what happened this morning… I'm sorry. I'm still overwhelmed by a lot of things, and I just… I just snapped at you. The things I said were out of line."]_

Midorima could feel the sincerity of the voice from the other line, could feel the guilt consuming his heart whole. He hadn't felt something like this in a long time.

"I want to apologize as well. I talked to Takao about it, and well…" Midorima twirled the telephone cable with his long, slender fingers, trying to alleviate the awkwardness he felt. He was never really good at talking. "I have to admit that after sorting everything out, I finally realized that I was the one at fault. You were right; I need time to reflect on my personality."

"Since I was young, I believed that I was always the one who's right, that I'm superior from the others. I never cared about how other people felt; as long as the situation benefited me, then it didn't matter if people were stepped on."

The other person remained silent as if urging him to continue.

"I was wrong. Takao made me realize that. That is why I will try to change. I want to change. Trust me when I say that I will be sensitive to others' feelings from now on."

For a few moments, only silence filled the line.

_["I… I don't know what to say. Thank you Midorima, and I want to apologize again. If you'd give me another chance, can we meet again at your house tomorrow? Would that be okay?"]_

"Of course. I will be waiting at the same time. I will prepare snacks beforehand for us to have something to eat."

"And take it slow, please. I'm sorry for your grandmother's death." Midorima could count on two hands the few times he said something so sincerely, and this was one of them.

_["That means a lot. Thank you. I guess I'll see you tomorrow."]_

"Yes, you will. And uh... I looked up your lucky item for tomorrow. Make sure to bring something pink."

The laughter from the other line made the corners of his lips go up.

_"I'll try. And Midorima?"_

"Hm?"

 _["You're very lucky to have Takao as a friend."]_  
.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
His answer was loud and clear.

"Of course."

But the smile on his face was 'louder'.

.

.

.

**Chapter IX-"Well then, I'm sorry that you're stuck with me."**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have sinned. It's been half a year since I updated this story and I'm sorry for that. Life became very busy for me and I was struggling to manage my time. I can't even manage to watch my favorite shows anymore. Being a student sucks :--( I have already started writing the next chapter and it'll come, I promise!


End file.
